If you don't buy your Sony games locally, you undercut Sony's ability to gouge on local game prices locally. And from what I've heard, video game companies seem to gouge on local game prices in Australia quite a bit.
So what about games that will not EVER be ported to Australia? There are quite a few for PS1 that have yet to be ported (and were released in America YEARS ago). I'd say it's safe to say they won't be ported. Why can't I buy a mod chip to port those?
Oh, and why doesn't America just make it illegal to sell stuff second-hand (I'm sure Australia will soon follow if America did)? That way Sony can price-gouge even more.
Next the... pencil will be banned as these could clearly brech copywrite.
I would love to see someone sue a pencil-comapny based on that law. It would either:
1> Result in the law being revised
2> Result in the law being removed
3> The person will make quite a bit of money by winning the suit.
trying to outlaw technology just because it CAN be used for bad things. Without the mod chip, I wouldn't be able to import games. I don't know how me importing games is bad for Sony.
On the other hand, laws are made retroactively, there could be regime change, or other unpleasentness.
For the majority of slashdotters this wouldn't be a problem, as I'm pretty sure American laws can't be retroactive. If I ate a chicken today and e-mailed someone saying I ate a chicken, and tomorrow it became illegal to eat chicken, I can proclaim to the world "I ate a chicken on the 12th of March" and I won't be able to be charged with any crimes.
However given your choice of words (regime change) I figure your talking about other countries, I can't comment on their legal systems. IANAL
Because if you delete early and often, you've committed no crime. If you wait to delete it until someone (feds, cops, *IAA, UN-black-helicopter troopers, whoever) demands you turn it over to them, you're screwed.
After all, you break laws too (everybody does, they are written that way). You just haven't been caught yet.
Instead of deleting all your e-mails "early and often" why not just delete the ones that have illegal activity in them? Or better yet, don't conduct illegal activity via e-mails. Those are a couple of a crazy ideas I know, but it just might save you from deleting all your e-mails.
Whether this makes you happy or not, the majority of Americans are not amenable to the idea of killing undeveloped babies for medical research.
You know by mentioning this when people discuss using embryos for stem cell research, you make it sound like this is the case. However this isn't the case. They want to use embryos that were killed for other reasons, which they're not allowed to do.
Creating an embryo just to use it for medical research is quite different to using an embryo that is already dead, and wasn't created for the medical research.
I took the original poster to mean "people see worth in something physical, not software." You mentioned two things that aren't related to that at all.
Why would I pay 8.00 for a paperback I know I'll probably only read once and then stick on a shelf or on a pile, when I can probably borrow the book for free from the Library? Psychology is fascinating...
Well I can't answer for you, but for me: I don't;) When I buy a book, I do so because I know it will be good enough to read it in the future. Why don't I just borrow it? Well the big thing is convenience. When I borrow it from the library I feel like I must read it in 2 weeks. Many times I read late at night, so I have to wait until I'm free to go to the library during the day, on a day it's open (isn't open sunday or monday).
I can borrow more then one book, but often I'll plan to read book X after I finish the one I'm reading, but once I finish it I'll change my mind. With books I already own all of this is a non-issue.
Actually, I don't think it's physicality that's stopping books from going, but:
* DRM (I can lend a friend a book, I can't lend a friend an e-book (without breaking TOS))
* e-book readers at a decent size (the small screen of a PDA is somewhat disuasive)
* cheap e-book readers
* Cheaper e-book prices: Why should I pay the same for an e-book as a normal book? It doesn't cost the same to make.
* Availability (more and more books are being offered as e-books, but many books also aren't).
Having said that, when available, I buy the e-book.
I remember seeing only about 20% mozilla and 80% IE on windows or something for a slashdotting. Pretty disgraceful (not all of that can be "we have to use it at work").
Luckily this is a "News for Nerds" website and not a "News for OSS-zealots" so that yes, we can have people who are computer nerds and do like Microsoft. Minorities are often very vocal, I'm not surprised if the vocal people here are in the minority. I imagine there are plenty of people who don't even read the comments.
Yes but perhaps there were two engineers at one stage. Or perhaps it was a simple typo. There needs to be room for people to make honest mistakes and give them a chance to correct the mistake, and then there has to be the chance to punish those that act unethically.
If the company had the mistake brought to their attention and they refused to fix it, the fine would be justified. But to just whip out a massive fine for an honest mistake, that's ridiculous (in my opinion).
We aren't machines. We make mistakes. I think there should be room for us to make honest mistakes. A simple "How many engineers do you have?" "1" "But your site says engineers as in plural" "oh thankyou for pointing out that mistake, we'll fix it immediately" *it's fixed that week*. And it's nothing like the situation described in the article.
I think the state board of licensure fined him something around $50,000? Absolutely rediculous. Granted, the head of the board was the engineer for a competing company I believe, so there might've been other motivations... stupid small states.
That situation sucks. Although it doesn't demonstrate why laws that protect consumers from false advertising are bad. It demonstrates how your Dad's competitor was acting in an unethical (and most likely illegal) manner.
And what's all this bruhaha about false advertising? Does nobody call to verify product and prices anymore or does everything have to be perfect and taken at face value?
No I don't. I expect a better level of service at Pizza Hut (well known franchise). They have a certain reputation. Oh, and by the way, pizza hut's online prices are always correct. If your country doesn't protect the consumer's, then I feel sorry for you. Me, I like to be protected from lying businesses. After all, what's to stop them from claiming to be a tofu-only restaurant in their menu at the store, then when the food comes out it's got meat hidden inside. As a vegetarian I'd be disgusted at this.
If I see a price on the television, I wouldn't expect to have to call them up to see if that's the real price. I don't see why the internet should be any different. Having an up-to-date website should be the cost of having a website (don't even need to actively keep it up-to-date. Just be re-actionary where you fix it when it's brought to your attention. While it's negligent, at least it isn't dishonest).
Many businesses in Australia will say "if you can prove that we said price X we'll give you that price" (sometimes flyers will be given out when the sale is already over). That's the level of service such laws provide for us.
I don't want to get in trouble for not keeping all of my numerous sites up to date.
Well I'm afraid keeping your numerous websites up to date is the cost of running a business. If you can't afford to do that in your business, perhaps you should re-think your business strategy.
Of course, all of us with 1001 personal websites don't have to keep our stuff up to date. You only have to keep stuff up to date if:
1> You are selling stuff from your website
2> Someone calls to your attention that said site is out of date.
I can understand changing prices/menu and forgetting to update your site. I think $3,000 is a bit much in that case (then again, it IS NZ dollars, what's that? $10 US? (kidding)). But you should be responsible for letting your site go out of date and then not fixing it ONCE IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
Thankfully in Australia and New Zealand we have false advertising laws. It might be acceptable to lie in your advertisements in America, but over here it isn't.
I think he's kidding. Congress tends to have a habit of passing laws when it comes to the internet. X is illegal, but congress still passes a law defining X online as illegal;)
I care. When I ask if a computer product has Windows XP support, they laugh at me and say of course it does. When I ask if it has any Linux support, they look at me as if I started talking gibberish (for example: my PDA. Now I could find a PDA that has Linux support, but that's not the point. Once Linux becomes the standard, I won't have to search for a PDA that specifically has Linux support, it'll be like now with Windows, except it will be with Linux. That's why I care).
Slashdot Mirror
If you don't buy your Sony games locally, you undercut Sony's ability to gouge on local game prices locally. And from what I've heard, video game companies seem to gouge on local game prices in Australia quite a bit.
So what about games that will not EVER be ported to Australia? There are quite a few for PS1 that have yet to be ported (and were released in America YEARS ago). I'd say it's safe to say they won't be ported. Why can't I buy a mod chip to port those?
Oh, and why doesn't America just make it illegal to sell stuff second-hand (I'm sure Australia will soon follow if America did)? That way Sony can price-gouge even more.
Next the ... pencil will be banned as these could clearly brech copywrite.
I would love to see someone sue a pencil-comapny based on that law. It would either:
1> Result in the law being revised
2> Result in the law being removed
3> The person will make quite a bit of money by winning the suit.
trying to outlaw technology just because it CAN be used for bad things. Without the mod chip, I wouldn't be able to import games. I don't know how me importing games is bad for Sony.
On the other hand, laws are made retroactively, there could be regime change, or other unpleasentness.
For the majority of slashdotters this wouldn't be a problem, as I'm pretty sure American laws can't be retroactive. If I ate a chicken today and e-mailed someone saying I ate a chicken, and tomorrow it became illegal to eat chicken, I can proclaim to the world "I ate a chicken on the 12th of March" and I won't be able to be charged with any crimes.
However given your choice of words (regime change) I figure your talking about other countries, I can't comment on their legal systems. IANAL
Because if you delete early and often, you've committed no crime. If you wait to delete it until someone (feds, cops, *IAA, UN-black-helicopter troopers, whoever) demands you turn it over to them, you're screwed.
After all, you break laws too (everybody does, they are written that way). You just haven't been caught yet.
Instead of deleting all your e-mails "early and often" why not just delete the ones that have illegal activity in them? Or better yet, don't conduct illegal activity via e-mails. Those are a couple of a crazy ideas I know, but it just might save you from deleting all your e-mails.
Print what's important and stick it all in a drawer. That's the safe way to do it.
Until someone breaks into your house/someone who lives with you goes snooping.
Whether this makes you happy or not, the majority of Americans are not amenable to the idea of killing undeveloped babies for medical research.
You know by mentioning this when people discuss using embryos for stem cell research, you make it sound like this is the case. However this isn't the case. They want to use embryos that were killed for other reasons, which they're not allowed to do.
Creating an embryo just to use it for medical research is quite different to using an embryo that is already dead, and wasn't created for the medical research.
physicality is a big part of this.
I took the original poster to mean "people see worth in something physical, not software." You mentioned two things that aren't related to that at all.
Why would I pay 8.00 for a paperback I know I'll probably only read once and then stick on a shelf or on a pile, when I can probably borrow the book for free from the Library? Psychology is fascinating...
;) When I buy a book, I do so because I know it will be good enough to read it in the future. Why don't I just borrow it? Well the big thing is convenience. When I borrow it from the library I feel like I must read it in 2 weeks. Many times I read late at night, so I have to wait until I'm free to go to the library during the day, on a day it's open (isn't open sunday or monday).
Well I can't answer for you, but for me: I don't
I can borrow more then one book, but often I'll plan to read book X after I finish the one I'm reading, but once I finish it I'll change my mind. With books I already own all of this is a non-issue.
Yup... DVDs will be gone right after the books!
Actually, I don't think it's physicality that's stopping books from going, but: * DRM (I can lend a friend a book, I can't lend a friend an e-book (without breaking TOS))
* e-book readers at a decent size (the small screen of a PDA is somewhat disuasive)
* cheap e-book readers
* Cheaper e-book prices: Why should I pay the same for an e-book as a normal book? It doesn't cost the same to make.
* Availability (more and more books are being offered as e-books, but many books also aren't).
Having said that, when available, I buy the e-book.
No rational man could consider the world to be round.
How does your wife feel about being called a Mount?
Also, it looked like it wasn't taking advantage of the mini-google-page that google has provided for mobile devices.
I remember seeing only about 20% mozilla and 80% IE on windows or something for a slashdotting. Pretty disgraceful (not all of that can be "we have to use it at work").
Luckily this is a "News for Nerds" website and not a "News for OSS-zealots" so that yes, we can have people who are computer nerds and do like Microsoft. Minorities are often very vocal, I'm not surprised if the vocal people here are in the minority. I imagine there are plenty of people who don't even read the comments.
No, you see. The militants then proceed to take over the call center, giving out bad advice and in general being mean spirite
How is this different to current tech support?
Yes but perhaps there were two engineers at one stage. Or perhaps it was a simple typo. There needs to be room for people to make honest mistakes and give them a chance to correct the mistake, and then there has to be the chance to punish those that act unethically.
If the company had the mistake brought to their attention and they refused to fix it, the fine would be justified. But to just whip out a massive fine for an honest mistake, that's ridiculous (in my opinion).
We aren't machines. We make mistakes. I think there should be room for us to make honest mistakes. A simple "How many engineers do you have?" "1" "But your site says engineers as in plural" "oh thankyou for pointing out that mistake, we'll fix it immediately" *it's fixed that week*. And it's nothing like the situation described in the article.
I think the state board of licensure fined him something around $50,000? Absolutely rediculous. Granted, the head of the board was the engineer for a competing company I believe, so there might've been other motivations... stupid small states.
That situation sucks. Although it doesn't demonstrate why laws that protect consumers from false advertising are bad. It demonstrates how your Dad's competitor was acting in an unethical (and most likely illegal) manner.
And what's all this bruhaha about false advertising? Does nobody call to verify product and prices anymore or does everything have to be perfect and taken at face value?
No I don't. I expect a better level of service at Pizza Hut (well known franchise). They have a certain reputation. Oh, and by the way, pizza hut's online prices are always correct. If your country doesn't protect the consumer's, then I feel sorry for you. Me, I like to be protected from lying businesses. After all, what's to stop them from claiming to be a tofu-only restaurant in their menu at the store, then when the food comes out it's got meat hidden inside. As a vegetarian I'd be disgusted at this.
If I see a price on the television, I wouldn't expect to have to call them up to see if that's the real price. I don't see why the internet should be any different. Having an up-to-date website should be the cost of having a website (don't even need to actively keep it up-to-date. Just be re-actionary where you fix it when it's brought to your attention. While it's negligent, at least it isn't dishonest).
Many businesses in Australia will say "if you can prove that we said price X we'll give you that price" (sometimes flyers will be given out when the sale is already over). That's the level of service such laws provide for us.
I don't want to get in trouble for not keeping all of my numerous sites up to date.
Well I'm afraid keeping your numerous websites up to date is the cost of running a business. If you can't afford to do that in your business, perhaps you should re-think your business strategy.
Of course, all of us with 1001 personal websites don't have to keep our stuff up to date. You only have to keep stuff up to date if:
1> You are selling stuff from your website
2> Someone calls to your attention that said site is out of date.
I can understand changing prices/menu and forgetting to update your site. I think $3,000 is a bit much in that case (then again, it IS NZ dollars, what's that? $10 US? (kidding)). But you should be responsible for letting your site go out of date and then not fixing it ONCE IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
blah blah blah
Thankfully in Australia and New Zealand we have false advertising laws. It might be acceptable to lie in your advertisements in America, but over here it isn't.
I think he's kidding. Congress tends to have a habit of passing laws when it comes to the internet. X is illegal, but congress still passes a law defining X online as illegal ;)
Thanks very much for not mentioning some of those Firefox only features. For a minute there I was afraid your post may be insightful.
I care. When I ask if a computer product has Windows XP support, they laugh at me and say of course it does. When I ask if it has any Linux support, they look at me as if I started talking gibberish (for example: my PDA. Now I could find a PDA that has Linux support, but that's not the point. Once Linux becomes the standard, I won't have to search for a PDA that specifically has Linux support, it'll be like now with Windows, except it will be with Linux. That's why I care).
Making a better product is about actually doing it, not talking about how it's going to happen soon.
FYI: Linux has become a better product since 1998.
1998 version of Linux VS 2005 version of Linux. 2005 wins as the better product.
# Someone gives Joe a live Linux CD which blows Windoze away.
# Joe never looks back
Luckily Joe didn't like playing commercial games on his computer, otherwise he would have told Someone no thanks. Unfortunately I'm not Joe.